The Soul's Servant
by CurlyHairedMonster
Summary: "Gin, did you think this would be life after the war? Did you ever dream of it being like this?" Hermione asked quietly. "Honestly, I was sure that we would all be dead by the end of the war. Remembered as the brave ones who sacrificed themselves." Ginny said... Its hard to heal, but its even harder to heal the person who hurt you.
1. Prologue

Prologue

She sat up quickly, and grabbed her wand from underneath her pillow. "Lumos." she whispered, and a white light sprung from the tip of the slender wood. She scanned her room, "Revealio." She whispered, and when nothing changed, she turned out the light and returned to her sleeping position.

Every night this happened. She would hear footsteps, and wake up in a panic. Day in and day out she was constantly afraid. She was constantly terrified. She had to constantly remind herself that the war was over, nobody else was there to hurt her. All the deatheaters were captured or killed, and the last funeral was scheduled for the next day. She cringed. Funeral. She hated the word. And tomorrow was Crabbe's. The last funeral of the war. The list hadn't seemed to have an end. Fred, Lavender, Lupin, Tonks, Snape. So many died. She sighed and rolled over on her back, she wasn't going back to sleep any time soon.

She sat up in her bed and clicked her night stand lamp on. "Gin. " she whispered.

"Yeah?" she heard her red head best friend reply.

"When did you wake up Gin?" Hermione asked quietly.

"A few minutes before you, but I don't think I will be going back to sleep any time soon." Ginny said.

"Me neither. Want some tea?" Hermione asked as she rolled out of bed.

"Yeah, what time is it?"

Hermione looked at her nightstand where he kept her alarm clock. She looked at the bright red digits, "Its almost three. We made it a little longer."

Ginny huffed, "I suppose, but it will never be like it used too. Eight hours of sleep each night sounds like heaven right about now. "

The girls grabbed their robes and padded quietly down to the kitchen. Hermione filled a kettle with water and began to make the tea.

"Gin, did you think this would be life after the war? Did you ever dream of it being like this?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Honestly, I was sure that we would all be dead by the end of the war. Remembered as the brave ones who sacrificed themselves." Ginny said as she hauled herself onto a stool.

"Sounds a lot better than what we're stuck with now. But we've made it right? The burrow is our home, and all the funerals are done, except Crabbe's."

Ginny nodded in agreement. Hermione sighed and pulled her self onto the stool beside Ginny's.

"Hermione, Ginny, are you girls down here?" came a voice from upstairs.

"Yes mum." Ginny whispered as Molly Weasley came into the kitchen.

"Couldn't sleep again?" The elder woman asked groggily.

The younger two nodded. Molly pulled the kettle off the stove top and poured the girls their tea. "Now off to bed you two, you need your sleep." The girls bid the elder woman goodnight. The girls knew when to go and when to stay, they also knew that Molly would be in the kitchen for another two hours crying. Fred's death had taken a toll on her.

Hermione opened the door to their room and the girls sat on their beds.

"You think the guys are asleep?" Ginny asked.

"Doubt it. They'll be in here soon, I have no doubt that they have been up for some time."

The oak door slowly swung open and red hair peeked around the wood. "Everybody decent?" came the voice of Ron Weasley.

The girls giggled, "yes we're decent." Hermione whispered. He walked in and sat beside the brunette.

"How long have you two been awake then?" He asked quietly.

"We woke up at about three. You?" Ginny answered.

"Same. I heard you two talking downstairs, figured we could probably talk." He said.

"About what?" Hermione inquired.

"You know bloody well what. Our letters of course."

Another soft knock came at the door, this time, raven hair emerged from the dark hallway. " I knew I couldn't have been the only two to get a letter." Harry Potter said as he sat on Ginny's bed.

"Well, I suppose we should start with who is going back and who isn't. Yeah?" Ginny asked.

"I have to go. I've been deemed HeadGirl. You all know how much I've wanted that badge." Hermione whispered.

"I can't live without my best friend. And mum would kill me if I didn't go." Ginny said quietly.

The boys looked at each other. "Well right before we got our Hogwarts letters, we kind of got an acceptance letter to the Auror's training office. We both said we'd go. We'll be gone for the entire school year."

Hermione nodded. "You don't think Gin and I didn't know that. Honestly you two." The girls both giggled. "The only thing we don't know is when you'll be leaving." Ginny said.

"In two days." Harry said solemnly.

"Two days. We should probably make the most of this." Hermione said.

"This is it. Our last year. Everything is going to change." Ron said.

The group looked at each other. This was the last year before their live's would change. "We can't say that we're going to be facing the real world though, that would be a dishonor to what we've survived." Ginny commented.

The little red headed girl was correct, if defeating the world's darkest wizard wasn't real life, then they were in for some trouble. "Everything should be fine now. The deatheaters are gone and everybody's safe. We should be getting to bed." Ginny said yawning. The boys nodded and left the room.

"Gin, I have a feeling that this year something is going to change." Hermione said as she got into bed.

"Like what?" Ginny asked eagerly.

"Like maybe you and Harry can finally fall in love and get married, maybe you'll get a quidditch offer. Maybe I'll have some fun this year and not spend all my time in the library." Hermione whispered dreamily.

Ginny giggled. "Maybe, but I don't think you'll be ditching your wonderful library anytime soon." Hermione laughed in agreement. The girls shut off the lights and finally fell asleep.

They were right, however. This year was going to be very different. New trust would be gained, hearts would be broken, tears would be shed, and love and mystery was in the air.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Forever Days.

"Ginny, Hermione, come on. Its time to get up." Molly Weasley said as she entered the girl's room.

It had been two weeks since Harry and Ron left for Auror training. The girls had packed and gotten all of their books, and today they were going to take their last ride to Hogwarts, as students anyway. The girls got ready and headed downstairs. The night before hadn't been any different than the rest. They woke up before the sun and went to bed a few hours later. Molly hugged Ginny, then Hermione. The curly brunette couldn't help but to melt in the motherly embrace. Molly was the closest thing she had to a mother now, considering that despite Hermione's memory charm, the deatheaters still found Mr. and Mrs. Granger. A few tears escaped as she let go of the elder woman.

"You both will be fine. You're going to be in Hogwarts! The safest place in the wizarding world." Molly smiled, "and you will have each other. Stick together, you will both make it, I promise." By then, all three of the women were in tears, but they were happy tears. Life could be simple now, no more murder or pain. The girls said their goodbyes, then disapparated to Kings Cross.

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Hermione opened up the door to the Head's compartment, and let out a sigh of relief when she found nobody there. _I might as well get some sleep during the ride_, she thought as she slid onto the seat. She shut her eyes as the train started to move, and was lulled into a light sleep.

_ "Where did you get it? Mudblood answer me!" Bellatrix Lestrange yelled at Hermione. "I don't know! I swear!" Hermione cried. "Not talking Are we?" Bellatrix laughed evilly. __**Crucio**__..."_

She awoke screaming, "Granger! Shut up will you! Merlin have you got to be so bloody loud?!" Draco Malfoy said angrily.

Hermione breathed deeply, "Sorry, bad dream." She said quietly.

He continued to read the book he had in hand and she sat up. "Uh, Malfoy, why are you in here?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Jeez Granger, and they call you the smartest witch of our time? I'm HeadBoy, genius." he said coldly. Hermione looked down at his robes, and sure enough there it was. A gleaming HeadBoy badge pinned neatly on his chest.

She groaned, "I need some air." She said as she stood.

"I'll go round up the prefects, McGonagall wanted us to have a meeting. Be back here in ten minutes." Draco said shortly.

Hermione nodded and walked down the hall to Ginny's compartment. "Gin. Gin wake up." Hermione shook her bestfriend's shoulder,

"Huh? Oh hey Mione." Hermione smiled at the state of her friend.

"Gin you won't believe who the Headboy is." Hermione said.

Ginny rubbed her eyes, "Who?"

Hermione sighed, "Draco Malfoy."

Ginny dropped her hands, "You're joking."

Hermione shook her head, "I didn't even think he would be back!" She said skeptically.

"I haven't heard anything about him since Narcissa was thrown into Mungos, do you think he'll be capable of this?"

Hermione looked out the window, as if in thought.

"Ms. Weasley, it does not matter if he is or isn't capable of it. Dumbledore wanted Mr. Malfoy to be HeadBoy, and I had to do everything in my power to make sure that happened. And let me tell you, that wasn't easy." Came the voice of Minerva McGonagall. The elder woman closed the compartment door and sat down in front of the girls. "Mr. Malfoy has had it hard since his mother lost her mind. You see, when he didn't respond to his Hogwarts letter, I knew that I had to look for him, so I did. The young man was pitiful. It took some time, but I eventually convinced him to come back."

Hermione and Ginny looked at each other with wide eyes. "McGonagall, what can we do to help?" Hermione asked confidently.

"Everybody seems to be against the idea that Mr. Malfoy is back. All I need for you two to do is be kind to him. Now, I'm not saying that you have to be friends with him, just show him that he deserves to be back, no matter what. Do you think you could do that for me?" McGonagall asked desperately. The girls nodded. "Now, I suggest that you two meet Mr. Malfoy with the rest of the prefects and begin the meeting. We should be arriving at Hogwarts shortly." The girls stood and walked out of the compartment to find the group of prefects. They knew that it was going to be a long year.

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"I would like to welcome you to a new year, and a new era, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I know that it's been a while since you've seen your school and I know that you are happy to be here," McGonagall started, "This year is going to be somewhat different. The Library is now larger, and since more classes have been added to your schedules, the library will stay open all night. The forbidden forest is still forbidden, and Quidditch tryouts begin in two weeks. Every weekend the school will plan a trip to Hogsmeade, but the returning 7th years, that are technically 8th years, will be allowed to go during their free time. Thank you all so much for coming back, even though these walls hold some of the scariest things you had ever had to experience," A few tears escaped the elder woman's eyes. "We all thank you so much for a second chance." The woman stepped down from the podium and food appeared on the tables. Hermione wiped her tears with the sleeve of her robe and looked over at Ginny to see that she was doing the same.

The girls began to eat and Hermione glanced over at the Slytherin table. She was shocked. All the Slytherins, who weren't in jail or dead, had returned. She scanned the table for a certain blonde, and spotted him at the end of the table sitting by himself. She set her jaw, "Gin, come on." She whispered as she stood. Everybody stopped talking as Hermione walked over to the Slytherin table and sat down in front of Draco. Ginny followed suit, sitting right beside her friend.

"Granger what the bloody hell are you doing?!" Draco whispered fiercely.

Hermione grabbed a roll, "Sitting you oaf, what are you doing?" She said playfully.

"Leave me the **fuck** alone." he whispered coldly, then stood and walked out of the hall.

Hermione looked up at the Headmistress. McGonagall's face was contorted into worry. Hermione looked at her friend,

"We can't give up just because he's being a jerk. McGonagall is counting on us." Hermione said quietly.

"Mione, honey, I know that you want to help him, but I can't. He hurt us so much. I can't help him, not yet anyway." Ginny said as she stood. Hermione nodded solemnly as she watched her friend walk back over to the Gryffindor table.

Hermione sighed and left the hall, appetite vanished. She walked to the head dorm and up to her room. Despite the glory of the room, she burst into tears. She'd always jumped to conclusions. Maybe Draco didn't need help, he probably had plenty of friends, he just didn't want to be around anybody. She couldn't fix everything.

The warm sun shone through the tiny cracks in her heavy drapes. _POP_! She heard the familiar crack of apparation, and sat up in her room, wand in hand.

"Please Miss, Asha meant no harm!" She heard a tiny house elf squeak.

"Oh, I'm so terribly sorry! You frightened me!" Hermione said sheepishly.

She lowered her wand, "Miss, here is your breakfast. If you need anything just call for Asha." She heard the tiny house elf apparate and then she was alone again. She flopped back on her bed, her first class was in an hour. Groaning, she stood and began getting ready for the day.

As she walked downstairs form her room, she looked at her schedule. Potions first. She sighed and stuffed the paper neatly into her bag. She walked quickly out of the room and down the hall to the potions room. She took a deep breath before opening the heavy wooden door and prepared herself for her last year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

She found herself awake extremely early again. Grabbing her wand, she threw back the covers. It was pretty clear in her mind that she wouldn't be getting any more sleep. She took a shower and got dressed, and by the time she was ready, it was only four in the morning. Looking at her watch, she huffed a big breath of air. She still had four more hours until her first class started. Homework was done, what else was there to do? She sighed and walked out of the head's dorm and down to the library.

She slowly pushed open the heavy door, and breathed in the musty scent of old books for the first time in three years. She slowly walked around and made her way to her favorite crook in the library. She smiled as she saw the old wooden table and chairs in her little corner. It was perfect, and it was home. She picked a few books here and there, and put some back in their rightful places. Finally, she was calm again. After she found an interesting book, she made her way back to her little crook, and was surprised at the sight that was bestowed upon her.

What the bloody hell was he doing here? This was her side of the library. What made him think he could march in and take over? Prince of Slytherin or not, this was her sanctuary.

He was in deep thought, his golden eyebrows furrowed. His hand came up to his head and he ran his fingers through his shaggy platinum hair. He lifted a crimson divination book, his fingers folding around the spine. Her eyes traveled back up to study his marble face. His eyes were still the same stormy gray, except, they had a darkness to them that they didn't have before the war. They were empty, dead almost.

She drew in a sharp breath and her mind clicked right back into place. _Stop. He said he didn't want your help._ She reminded herself. She didn't have time to ogle over guys this year. It was about her studies and her studies only. Sighing, she closed her book with a little too much force.

Draco looked over in her direction, his eyebrows raised. "Frustrated Granger?" He asked calmly.

"Wouldn't you like to know." She snapped and shoved her books back into her bag.

_Why am I getting so angry? All he did was ask a question. I'm acting like Parkinson for merlin's sake!_

"Um, sorry Malfoy. Didn't mean to be rude. Just divination ya know?"

He looked at her like she'd grown two heads, "Didn't expect anything less Granger." he said annoyed. She huffed, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

She walked into the hallway, the frozen air cooling her burning cheeks. "Bloody git." she mumbled and went to her first class.

**Hi! Thanks for reading! I'm still new at posting stories on this site so some stuff is gonna be a little weird fo****r the first few chapters, and I'm really sorry about that! I'm trying and it will get better just stick with me! Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Remembering

The scratching of quills against parchment was all that could be heard. It was the last class of the day, and she was more than ready to go back to her dorm, snuggle up, and read. She finished her last sentence and took the parchment up to Professor Slughorn. Retreating to her seat, she slumped down and looked out of the huge glass windows. It was cold and rainy today, but she wasn't complaining. This was perfect weather. "Miss Granger, you're dismissed." Slughorn grunted as he finished checking her paper. She nodded, slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked out of the room, back into the cold hallways. She shivered at how dim the hall was. The lighting came from the large windows on either sides of the hallway, but because of the clouds, it was dark, cold, and it was bringing back the memories. She picked up her pace, trying to get to the warmth of her dorm. But it was no use. She was alone and it was dark. The pain came back, the killing, the chaos, everything. All at once. She gasped and stumbled to the side of the hallway, her hands grasping her hair.

_I know you have it MUDBLOOD! Don't lie to me! _

"No...no...stop..." She whispered frantically.

_Harry Potter is DEAD! _

"Make it stop...please..." She crumpled to the floor, her knees feeling like jelly. She cracked her eyes to see a figure running toward her, she reached for her wand in her robe pocket, "Expelliarmus!" she heard a male's voice scream, then everything went black.

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"You know they're coming, Malfoy." whispered Ginny from the side of Hermione's bed in the hospital wing, "Ron is going to kill you." She said quietly while holding Hermione's hand. "What, Potter won't?" Draco asked sarcastically. "Well, first he's going to ask you calmly what happened while he's trying to restrain Ron, then he'll let Ron go and they'll both kill you." She replied coolly. Draco rubbed his face with his hands, "What was I supposed to do, just leave her there to suffer?" He asked. "Well no, but you didn't have to disarm her and scare her to absolute death." Draco groaned, "I was just-"

"YOU BLOODY GIT! I'LL KILL YOU! What the hell did you do to her?!" screamed Ron, his face matching his hair. He charged at the platinum haired boy sitting in the chair, but was jerked back into a wall.

"HARRY LET ME AT HIM! DO YOU SEE WHAT HE'S DONE TO HER?!" Harry sighed, frustrated, "Ron we don't even know what happened, calm down would you?" Ron jerked his arms out of his best friend's grasp.

"Malfoy, what the hell did you do to her?" Harry asked annoyed.

"Me?! I havent done anything but saved her pompous arse! I heard screaming in the corridor outside of our dorm and I went to check and it was Granger. She'd hit her head on the wall and when I tried to help her up she called me Voldemort and tried to hex me, all I did was disarm her so I could help. Now if you don't mind, could you please calm down the bull over there, I'd rather not die tonight thank you very much." Draco said defensively. Harry looked at Ron with a 'see-what-the-hell-did-I-tell-you' look and Ron slumped back in his chair.

"Um guys..." Ginny stared with wide eyes as the brunette in the hospital bed began to register her surroundings.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" Hermione asked as she tried to sit herself up in her bed. _Bad idea_, she thought to herself as a wave of nausea hit.

If it weren't for Madame Pompfrey's amazing timing, she would have puked all over herself. Draco scrunched up his nose, "I think that's my signal to leave." He said as he stood and walked out of the hospital wing.

"What the hell was _he _doing here is a better question." Hermione mumbled to her self.

"Dear, you seem to have hit your head pretty hard, do you mind giving an explanation about what happened?" Madame Pompfrey asked with a concerned voice.

She thought back to the dark hallway. She didn't forget what happened, even when she was asleep the memories kept coming. She didn't want to talk about it, it was embarrassing. _I actually participated in the war, and I didn't faint once. What the hell would they think? Probably that I was trying to get attention. _She rubbed her face with her hands. "Wait, who brought me in?"

Harry and Ron looked at Ginny, like it was obvious that the red-headed witch was the one to ask.

Hermione shook her head, "It wasn't Gin, I remember a male voice that disarmed me."

Ginny looked at her friend, "Hermione, Draco disarmed you and brought you in."

"But why did he-"

"You called him Voldemort and tried to hex him." Ginny answered.

Harry looked at his watch, then nodded to Ron, "Hermione, honey, we're glad you're okay, but we have to get back."

Hermione nodded an hugged both of the boys, "Next time, don't come unless it's a major emergency. I don't want to ruin your careers." She gave both of the boys a stern look and they nodded sheepishly. "See ya, Mione." They both said and left through the fireplace.

"They really need to stop worrying about me." Hermione shook her head and smiled. "Gin can you fill me in on what happened again, I'm kind of confused."

**~Flashback~**

Draco ran towards the red-head, "You have to help, I don't know what's wrong with her, w-what do I do?" he said frantically.

"Hospital Wing." Ginny managed to choke out as she saw the lifeless form of her best friend. Draco nodded and took off running to the hospital, and Ginny ran the other way to owl Harry and her brother.

She busted through doors to the hospital wing after she'd owled the boys, and rushed to her friend's bed. "Is she okay?" She asked with a small voice to the blonde man sitting on the other side of the bed. He nodded slowly, but never took his eyes off of the girl in the bed.

A few minutes later when Ginny's breathing had calmed down she softly grabbed the brunette's hand. "You know they're coming Malfoy."

**~End~**

Hermione sat there dumbfounded at her friends story. He helped her. _He helped me, and he was worried. _She found herself speechless, not knowing how to respond to the fact that her sworn enemy had actually helped her.

_Who knew he would actually touch 'mudblood filth' like me. _

_No. He isn't like his father. _

_Then why didn't he help me that night at the manor?_

_He was protecting his family. You know that. _

_Would you have done the same to him, then? _

She groaned as she realized that she had finally gone inevitably crazy. She was talking to herself for Merlin's sake.

"Ms. Granger, is something wrong?" asked Madame Pompfrey. Hermione smiled and shook her head no. _I can't keep myself in here any longer. _

"Well dear, your head seems to be fine now, if you would like to leave." said the elder nurse.

Hermione looked at Ginny with a, 'lets-get-the-heck-out-of-here' look and Ginny nodded. The girls left the infirmary and walked back to the Gryffindor common room.

The brunette sighed as she remembered all the good time she'd had in that common room. The nostalgia was almost unbearable. "Mione, are you going to talk to him about it?" Ginny asked with a small voice.

"Just to say thank you, other than that, I don't really have anything to say to him." she replied and plopped down on the couch infront of the fire, her friend following suit. "You know it was really sweet what he did for you." Ginny said and wiggled her eyebrows.

Hermione giggled, "You've gone mad, Ginerva Weasley."

Ginny scowled at the use of her birth name,"I should have never told you that." Hermione laughed, "Actually Gin, I'm really tired. I think I'm just going to go back." She said as she stood and yawned. "You know it's pitch black out there right." The red-head said and raised her eyebrow. Hermione smiled smugly, "I've got that covered. ASHA!" she yelled and a tiny house elf popped into the room.

"Yes, miss?" Asha asked excitedly.

"Do you think that you could apparate me back to my room?" Hermione asked the elf kindly. The elf smiled back and grabbed the witch's hand. "Ready miss?" Asked the elf, and Hermione nodded and waved to her dumbfounded friend, then she was in her room again.

"Can I get you anything else miss?" the elf asked patiently and Hermione shook her head no. The elf apparated away leaving Hermione to take a shower.

She walked out of her room to the living room, "Granger when the hell did you get here?" Draco asked shocked. He looked from the entrance the back to her. "I've sat on this couch since I left the infirmary!" He asked still astonished.

Hermione smirked, "Did you miss me or something, Prince of Slytherin?" then she walked into the bathroom and shut the door with a soft 'click'.

He stood there still dumbfounded until she turned the shower on. He ran his hands through his shaggy hair then retreated to his bedroom.

**Hey guys! Thanks for continuing to read my story! It really means a lot! **

**Thanks for reviewing and helping me make my writing better, I really appreciate. **

**So how do you like it so far? I'm pretty proud of it if I do say so myself. **

**Thanks for sticking with me!**

**~Curly~**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 4: Confessions from a not-so-cold Heart

"Where is he?" Hermione growled as she sat in the empty common room, she looked at her watch, "he was supposed to be here 20 minutes ago!" she screamed to herself. It was 5:30 and Hermione was waiting on Draco to come and approve the plans for the meeting that was set to start in the next thirty minutes.

"There you are, I need you to approve this real quick." She said as he came barreling through the door. He didn't even stop to look at her, but stomped off to his room and slammed the door shut. She flinched at the sound.

_I need him to sign this bloody paper. _

_Then take it too him._

_He's mad._

_So? _

_I'm really talking to myself again. I've lost it. _

She huffed as she looked down at the paper in her hand. All it needed was his signature, he didn't even have to read it.

_Well, here goes nothing. _She thought as she began to slowly walk to his door. She leaned her head against the door and softly knocked, "Malfoy?" No answer. "Malfoy?" She asked again, but she still received no answer.

She took a deep breath and pushed down on the door handle. She let herself into his neat room and saw him sitting on his bed with his head in his hands. "Malfoy?" she said weakly.

His head jerked up and she saw his red face and bloodshot eyes. "What Granger. Here to kick me while I'm down?"

"I just need you to approve this and I'll leave you alone. I promise." She said and began to walk towards him. He grabbed a quill off of his night stand and neatly signed his name on the line. "Anything else Granger?" he asked, obviously irked.

She shook her head and started to leave. She looked over her shoulder to see him back in the same place she found him, "Actually, yes. What happened Malfoy?" She asked as she stood in front of him.

"Didn't you promise to leave me alone, Mudblood?" He asked fiercely as he stood up, his face inches away from hers.

"Forget I asked then." She grumbled and stomped out of his room, slamming the door behind her.

_I changed my mind. He's just like his bloody father. _

He stood in the middle of his room, where her scent lingered. "What the hell is the matter with me?" he muttered to him self as he rubbed his face.

She left the common room and stormed down to the great hall. They'd been given permission to use it as a meeting place as long as it didn't interfere with meals. She opened the huge wooden doors and walked into the hall, flicking the lights on with her wand. She sat the supplies for the meeting down on the end of the table and sat in front of them. She looked at her watch, the meeting was going to start in ten minutes.

She wouldn't attend this meeting if she didn't have too. Nothing that required a meeting was scheduled until later in the year.

Prefects began to slowly trickle in, and by six, everybody was there except the Head Boy himself. "Can I honestly say I didn't expect that." Hermione grumbled to herself as she began the meeting.

Everything was going smoothly until about half way in when Prince decided to make his grand entrance. He swung the door open so hard that it hit the wall with a loud _'bang', _nearly scaring the prefects to death. After the meeting was done, with Hermione doing ninety-eight percent of the work, she was exhausted. Draco had been a stuck-up jerk the whole time. He was there in a physical sense, but he was far off mentally. She would ask him a question and all he would do was give a short nod then continue to stare at the wall.

She and Draco were the last two left, and she was stuffing the things in her bag.

"Exactly who the hell do you think you are, coming in here like that and scaring the prefects half to death?" Hermione asked him calmly, still putting stuff in her bag. She felt his eyes on the back of her head after she said that. "And then, you made _me_ do all the work. You didn't even say one word."

"Actually, I was thinking of ways to apologize to you." He said as he stood and helped her put the last book in her bag.

"And did you figure out a way?" She asked shocked.

He grabbed her shoulders softly and turned her to face him. "Hermione, I am sorry that I called you a mudblood, and I'm sorry I made you do all the work this time." He said looking into her eyes.

She blushed. "Apology accepted." She said and couldn't help but smile. "And I was actually going to talk to you about the name thing."

He let go of her shoulders and they started to walk out into the hallway together. "What about it?" he asked curiously.

"Well, I was thinking, and since we are leaders in this school, we should probably be good role models too."

"What does that have to do with our names?"

"I was getting there. We should probably start calling each other by our first names. It's just a lot better than keeping this prejudice thing going between Gryffindor and Slytherin."

He nodded, "Yeah that might be a good idea." he said as the crossed the threshold to the head dorm. "I'm gonna crash, goodnight _Hermione._" he said and winked at her as he retreated into his bedroom.

She stood there in disbelief. _What the hell just happened? _She thought as she softly closed her door behind her.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

_Why __didn't you tell her, Bellatrix, you knew it was me? You didn't say anything_.

_C'mon Draco, don't be a prat, do it. _

_No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood..._

"Draco!"

He felt his body being shaken on his left side. He sat straight up with his wand pointed straight at the intruder's nose.

"Draco, it's just me, you w-were having a bad dream." Hermione said as she slowly put her hands up. "Please put your wand down."

"Oh yeah, sorry." He mumbled as he lowered his wand.

"Was it bad?" Hermione asked quietly, "Your dream I mean."

He stayed silent for a while, not sure how to answer the question. He hardly remembered what he was dreaming about, and his main focus was on how civil Hermione had been. She should hate him, its like she'd hit her head in the past year and forgotten everything that had happened between them. The word he'd called her so many times before was like a bad taste that refused to go away. He'd used the word with venom, but it turned back around to be his poison.

"Earth to Draco." Hermione said with a worried tone.

"Sorry, just thin-"

"Thinking, I know. It happens to me too." Hermione said with a kind smile. She stood from her crouched position in the floor beside his bed and sat down beside him.

"Gra-Hermione, did it leave, ya know, a scar?" Draco asked sheepishly as he motioned to her arm.

She looked down and slid her thumb back and forth over the scarred area, contemplating whether she should show it to him. Slowly, she pulled back the sleeve of her jumper and held her arm out for him to see.

He gently grabbed her arm, examining what Bellatrix had done to her. "I'm so sorry." he whispered as he continued to stare at her arm.

She pulled her arm away from his view, "I don't blame you for it Draco. I never have." She whispered.

He looked up and smiled at her. "You know you should probably get back to bed." He said smirking at her, "Unless..." He said and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Ew. Actually, I'd rather not." She said as she walked over to his open door.

He feigned hurt, his mouth hanging open, "Well, you'll never get another chance like this." He said leaning back and folding his arms under his head.

"In case you didn't notice, Mr. Sex God, I just rejected you. In other words, stop trying." She winked and walked out of his room.

"Bloody hell." He whispered as he realized how fast his stone cold heart confessed his forming 'crush' on the Gryffindor Princess.

**Thanks so much for reading!  
**

**Okay so I really don't like this chapter, and I know that it is only D and H in this chapter, but trust me, you will be thankful for this chapter later on. (Haha just kidding, I'm trying to make excuses here :P) **

**So please, please, please, please, please, please, review and tell me what you think, because honestly whenever I see that my reviews have gone up, my stomach does little happy jumps. And on the other hand, I really love the input. So thanks for reading! Love you guys! **


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 5: Breaking the ice

"Professor Trelawny, I'm afraid that I need to borrow Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy." McGonagall said as she poked her head through the door. _I wonder what this is about. _Hermione thought to herself as she followed the new Headmistress out of the room.

"I don't know where we're going, and I don't care, as long as it gets me out of that damned class." Draco muttered as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Tell me about it." Hermione agreed and the two shared a smile. It was funny how it had turned out this way. Where they could actually have a civil conversation, how they could agree on something, how they could help each other _heal. _It was different. But the good kind. The kind of different that you didnt know how much you wanted it until you actually had a tiny taste of it.

"So, you two are probably wondering why I brought you here today." McGonagall started. The two nodded. "Well, the war is over."

Hermione and Draco looked at each other with confused faces. "I don't mean to be rude Professor, but it's been over for a few months now." Hermione said, her eyebrows furrowed.

"My apologies, but what I meant was, nobody has really had a chance to celebrate. It's been all sorrow and pain and death. I believe it is time to put that to rest."

"Headmistress, how do you suppose we can change that? No one can help if they're sad, and the can't control how long they're going to be sad." Draco said leaning forward.

"Exactly. Nobody is celebrating because nobody wants to be insensitive. It's kind of like a conversation with someone you barely know. The wizarding world is trying to have a conversation with happiness, the only problem is, we barely know happiness. So how do you start an interesting conversation with someone you barely know? You break the ice." McGonagall said as if it was the most noticable thing in the world, "And that is one thing I want this school to be known for. Breaking the ice."

"And how are we going to 'break the ice'?" Draco asked inquisitively.

"That is for you and Ms. Granger to decide, now you have one month, so you are dismissed from your classes for the rest of the day to think this over."

Hermione nodded and silently stood, grabbing Draco's sleeve and tugging him along with her. "Come on." She whispered and dragged him down to the one place she knew nobody would be, the library.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

She pushed him into the chair next to her little corner in the library. "Granger what the hell are you doing?" He asked as she began to pull books out of the shelves. "I hardly think this requires any boo-"

"Shh." She cut him off and continued to look at books. She put a huge book on the table and flipped it around until she found the page she was looking for. _Aha! Here it is! _

"Prom." she said proudly.

"Excuse me?" Draco spluttered.

"Oh yeah, you aren't muggle, a dance." She said as her cheeks turned a bit pink.

"A dance? Like the Yule ball?" Draco asked as he walked over to where she was standing.

"Yes, exaclty like that. The theme can be 'Breaking the Ice'." Hermione said excitedly.

"A dance it is then." He said as he smiled.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"A dance?" Ginny Weasley asked as she stared at her friend with wide eyes.

"Yep. Now can you please round-up the rest of the prefects, we have something to discuss." Hermione said. Ginny nodded and left her seat in the Great Hall to do as she'd been asked. Hermione looked at her watch and sighed, she'd been hoping to have some down time later. It had just been so crazy lately, not like it was before she was HeadGirl. She use to actually be able to take a long bath and read a good book about centaurs and what-not. It's not like she wasn't happy to be in charge, because it's what she's wanted since she read _Hogwarts: A History. _

"Hermione, you are coming right?" Neville asked.

"Where to?"

"The meeting that you just called." He looked at her with bewilderment. "Are you okay Hermione?"

"Yeah, sorry, I'm fine. I was just thinking." She stood from her seat and followed Neville out of the hall. It was going to be a long day.

"McGonagall has given us a task." Draco said as he sat in his chair in front of the prefects.

"She wants us to help the wizarding world know how to be happy again." Hermione said.

"And we've come up with one idea so far." Draco continued.

"A dance, like the Yule ball." Hermione said happily. "We were thinking that we could do something formal, but really fun. Since our task is to break the ice, that's what our theme will be. Breaking the Ice."

"So we take a vote. Hermione's idea, or something else." Draco explained, "So hands up for her idea."

Seven of eight hands went up.

"What's the problem Nott?" Draco asked irritated.

"I'm not agreeing with anything the **mudblood**says." He spat.

"What did you just say?" Draco said standing up.

"_I'm not agreeing with anything the __**mudblood **__says_." He growled as he too stood.

It happened in the blink of an eye. Before anyone could stop it, Draco's hand collided with the other boy's cheek. Then they were rolling on the floor, pounding each other.

"Draco stop!" Hermione said as she realized the other boy was unconscious. But he didn't stop, his fists kept colliding with his teeth, his face, his stomach. He stood and looked down at the boy on the floor.

"Don't _ever_ call her that again." He said and then left the meeting area. Hermione stood with her mouth hanging open.

"We have to take him to Pompfrey." Neville sighed as he helped the other boys drag Theodore out, the girls following them.

Hermione watched, still stunned. "What the actual hell?" She muttered as she made her way up to the Head's room.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

He looked at his face in the mirror. His right eye was already swelling and his lip was bloody, but other than that he felt fine.

No. That's a lie. He didn't feel fine. He felt _stupid_. He shouldn't have lashed out like that, he probably scared her away. And right when he was finally becoming friends with her.

"Draco?" she called out as she walked through the portrait., "Are you in here?" She said.

_Fuck. She's gonna find me. _He thought as he tried to scrub the blood off of his face and hands.

"Dra-" She half yelled as she opened the bathroom door. She stopped in her tracks as she saw him. Nott hadn't been the only one that needed medical attention. She stared at his bruised face and bloody knuckles.

"Hermione, please don't be mad." He pleaded as he turned to face her. She shook her head and grabbed the wash cloth closest to her. She ran cold water over the fabric and gently dabbed the scrapes on his knuckles. "This will hurt a little." She said quietly as she grabbed some alcohol off the shelf. She put his hands over the sink and poured the clear liquid on his wounds. After the process was done, she dabbed off the excess blood and wrapped his knuckles with a bandage from the first aid kit.

"Thank you." he muttered, quite shocked.

"No, thank you for standing up for me. Even though it was stupid, it really means alot to me." She said looking into his eyes.

"So you aren't mad?" he asked hopefully.

"I will be later, but right now I'm really happy that you did that for me Draco." She said. She lifted her hand up to trace his bruise with her fingers, "You really should put some ice on this." He grabbed her wrist and held it to his face, causing her to look him in the eye.

"Have you ever realized how beautiful your eyes are?"He whispered as the dark pools sucked him further in.

"Wha-" She started, but was cut off by his lips. She was too shocked to react so she just stood there.

His soft lips moved against hers, sending tingles down her back. Her eyes fluttered shut and she placed her arms around his neck, finally finding the courage to respond.

The ringing of Hermione's watch caused them to jump apart, both breathing heavily.

She stared at him with wide eyes, then fled the room. "Hermione wait." He called after her, but it was too late. She was already gone. He slammed his fist on the counter, "Dammit."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"Mione what's wrong?" Ginny asked her distraught friend. Hermione shook her head as she continued to cry.

"How am I supposed to help you if you won't even tell me whats wrong." Ginny asked sternly as she grabbed her friend's shoulders.

"Gin, h-he kissed me." Hermione said as she was gasping for air.

"Who?" The red-headed girl asked as she sat down on the bed beside the other witch.

"Malfoy. We were talking and he just...kissed me." Hermione said as she began to stop crying.

Ginny smiled triumphantly, "I knew it." she giggled as she grabbed her friend in a hug.

"Gin, what the hell?! This isn't a _good _thing!" Hermione yelled as she pushed her friend off of her.

"Yes it is! I've known that you two would end up together since you punched him in third year!" Ginny squealed.

"Giiinnnn." Hermione groaned as she buried her head in the pillow.

"Miiioneee." Ginny mocked, "You have to tell me everything." Ginny said as she pulled the other girl up.

"I fixed up his cuts and bruises, he kissed me, my watch beeped, and then i ran here. That's all that happened."

"You have to go back!" Ginny screamed as she pushed Hermione out of the door and into the hallway.

They stopped in front of the portrait that lead to the head's dorm. Hermione looked at the other witch.

"Do i really-"

"Yes."

"But he-"

"I don't care."

"Gin-"

"Hermione Jean Granger, you have all of three seconds to get your butt in that room, then I'm gonna go in there and get him." Ginny looked at her friend and crossed her arms over her chest.

"One."

She didn't budge.

"Two."

She still stood there, staring at the portrait.

"Three. DRAAAACOOOO!" Ginny screamed and Hermione clamped her hand over her friend's mouth, "Okay, I'm going, I'm going."

She took a deep breath and said the password. She slowly walked inside.

"We need to talk."

**OOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooOOOOOOOO**

**So. Some D/H action huh? Cool right?**

**Anybody? **

**No? Okay. **

**So I had really bad writer's block for the past couple of days and this was the only thing I could come up with, so if it sucks, I'm sorry. **

**Anywhooooo. I think that the song 'The Reason' By Hoobastank perfectly matches Draco's feelings for Hermione in this story so it would be great if you checked that out. **

**Thank you sooooooooo much for reading, and please review guys! Love you all!**

**~Curly~**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 6: Just like the Father

_She took a deep breath and said the password. She slowly walked inside._

_"We need to talk."_

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

He was sitting on the couch, his arms crossed over his chest and his blonde hair sticking up in different directions. "Now." He said with a demanding tone, looking her in the eye.

"Malfoy, I'm really tired, it's been a long day, we'll talk about it first thing in the morning." Hermione promised as she started to walk to her room. He grabbed her arm and pulled her around to face him.

"See what I mean? You're already calling me Malfoy again. We really need to talk about this Hermione. Please?" He pleaded.

"Fine." She sighed and he pulled her gently to sit down on the couch, his hand still firm on her arm as if he was afraid that she'd run away.

_he is so bloody persuasive. Damn those silver eyes. _

_oh but you love it anyway. _

_What the hell? No I do not. _

_Yes you do, I know it. _

_You know that you are me, right?_

_I am you and you are you and me. _

_Huh?_

_Exactly! I'm the smarter one! That's why I know that you love his big silver eyes. _

_Shut up already. _

_I'm telling myself to shut up. Merlin help me. _

"Earth to Hermione?" Draco said, waving his hand in front of her face.

"Sorry." She muttered.

"It was stupid of me to do what I did. I ruined a friendship that was going to be good and I don't want this to be anymore than that, a friendship. Okay?" He asked sincerely.

"Okay." She sighed, "Can I go to bed now?"

He let go of her arm and nodded.

She closed the door behind her as she entered her room and let out a disappointed sigh.

_What, did I actually think that he liked me? Pshh. Please, the only guy that has ever liked me is Ron. _

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Hermione walked out the door to her room. She looked at Draco's door solemnly, it had been a whole week since their talk, and he'd obviously been avoiding her. It hadn't been that hard for him to avoid her though, considering that quidditch had started the day after they'd talked. Draco had gotten back from practice an hour ago, and he still hadn't even shown his face. Since it was going to be a long weekend, she decided to go and stay at the Gryffindor tower.

"Draco, I'm staying with Ginny this weekend! Bye!" She yelled and he instantly popped his head out of the door.

"Want me to walk you down there?" He asked, remembering what had happened the last time.

"No." She snapped and her cheeks turned red as she realized how mean she was being, _Come on, get it together, you have no right to be mad at him._ "But if you need anything about the head duties then that's where I'll be." she said with a softer tone.

He stepped out from behind the door, "Actually I did kinda want to talk to you. But not about head duties." His face turned red and he rubbed the back of his neck shyly.

"So now you want to talk? You've avoided me since we talked the last time!" She screeched as she threw her bag on the ground.

"Merlin Granger, it's not like I declared my undying love for you." he scoffed.

"No, _Draco_, you didn't. But you did say that you wanted to be friends, and friends don't ignore each other. But you did. You do realize that's something only assholes do."

"God, give me some time! I kissed a mudblood for merlin's sake." He yelled and slapped his hand over his mouth. Her eyes welled up with tears. "Hermione, I'm sor-"

"Save it." She snarled and slammed the door as she walked out. "ASHA!" She yelled and the little elf was at her side again. Within minutes, she was in her best friend's arms, crying her eyes out.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"Hermione he didn't mean it. Come on, he just slipped up." Ginny consoled as she stroked the other girl's hair. "And if you don't like him, then why do you care so much? You didn't act like this when Theodore said it."

"Gin, it was different. He was the first person to ever call me that. I still remember how much that hurt." She sat up and wiped her tears. "I'm staying here this weekend because he's being such a prat."

"Aw, you guys' first fight."

"More like one millionth." Hermione said as she changed her clothes.

"So really tell me. Do you like him?"

"I don't know." Hermione sighed as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. "But enough about me. How's your love life going?"

"Actually really good, Harry said he was going to come home over winter break!"

"Huh. I didn't think he would be able to pull that off." Hermione muttered.

"What?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Nothing." Hermione said quickly.

"One." Ginny started counting again.

"Gin. Don't."

"Two." She said

"Ginnnnnnnnnn."

"Hermioneeeee."

"Harry made me promise not to tell you." Hermione said quietly. Harry had planned to come back over the break and ask Ginny to marry him. Crazy? Yes. Adorable? Absolutely.

"Why not?" Ginny huffed and plopped down on her bed.

"Because he doesn't want you to know." Hermione said with finality and Ginny just rolled her eyes. Knowing that she wasn't going to get anything out of the brown-haired witch, she decided to change the subject.

"I know you don't like talking about Draco, but Hermione, he really didn't mean it."

"But what if he did? What if he's just doing this so he can get through his last year of school? What if he still hates my guts?" Hermione asked.

"But what if he doesn't. You know, all people aren't liars." Ginny said.

"I don't know Ginny." Hermione said as she put her head in her hands.

"This is really bothering you, isn't it?" Ginny asked.

"More than you know." Hermione whined.

"Get some sleep, we can worry about it tomorrow." Ginny said.

"Getting sleep? That's likely." Hermione said sarcastically as she walked over to an empty bed. All the Gryffindor girls were at Parvati and Hannah Abbott's party in the room of requirement. They'd probably be there all night. She turned off the light before falling into a dreamless sleep.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"Every damn time." he muttered to himself as he looked in the mirror. She hadn't been back since last night, and he was getting worried.

Is she okay?

Did she make it all the way to the Gryffindor tower?

Is she running back to Weaselbee now?

It was all a whirl wind of questions stampeding his logical thoughts. He kept getting flashbacks from the day when she freaked out in the dark hallway. He had been scared, he had to admit. She looked dead, the only indicator that she was alive was that she was screaming her head off when he found her. He thought that she was hurt, and he was ready to kill whoever caused her pain.

But look what he'd done.

He had caused her pain. The one thing he was trying to keep her away from. Not because he was developing feelings for the witch, he was, but it was because the way he saw it, she'd already suffered enough.

She didn't realize everything he saw.

On the train on the way to Hogwarts, in the hallway, in the _manor. _

And she could never know how much he knew. It wouldn't be fair, and besides, he didn't want her feeling sorry for him when he wasn't the only one with a shattered heart.

It would be selfish and unfair. He figured he'd been selfish and unfair enough in his life, more than he probably should have. And he felt like shit because of it.

He hadn't known what a horrible man his father was until it was too late. He'd actually looked up to his father once. He'd actually wanted to be exactly how his father was. But those thoughts were long gone.

_But how far away are they? Especially since you called her a mudblood. It sounds a lot like something father would do. _

He wasn't any better than the scum of a man that he was raised by.

He needed to get her. He needed to apologize. She didn't deserve pain and she didn't deserve to be called that. But she also needed space. He wasn't sure what to do.

Go and apologize and cut out his heart and place it in her hand?

Or

Leave Hogwarts and go back home, where he couldn't hurt anyone.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**Hello. **

**Are you going to kill me? **

**Well if you are, think of it this way, if you do, then who will sort this story plot out? Exactly. **

**Put your knives away.**

**YEAH BOI THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT! **

**Just kidding. **

**So how was the chappy, loves? **

**Good?**

**Bad?**

**Please tell me because I love you guys so much and i love when you guys read and stuff because it makes me happy and yeah.. **

**Cheese! **

**Seriously though, it means a lot that you guys would stick with me through this whack job. **

**Love you alllllll. **

**~Curly~**


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: We'll Regret this in the Morning

**A/N: I wrote this chapter while listening to Through Glass by Stone Sour. It's really cool and the mood the song sets for this chapter is perfect. **

_Home. _The word suffocated his heart and made his throat go dry. Could he do it? Could he really ditch his chance at a new life, and go back home to rot? It should have been a no brainer, but he found himself pondering over it all night. And he'd decided. The next day he was going to leave during third block, when no one was wondering the grounds. He could leave. He wouldn't be able to hurt anyone anymore.

And that's the only reason he was leaving. So he couldn't hurt her, because she didn't deserve it.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

The witches were up before the sun again that day, despite it being a weekend. It was always going to be like this, they'd already figured.

"Gin, get up." Hermione whispered as she sat up in her bed.

"I've been up." Ginny replied as she got out of bed and went into the bathroom and brushed her teeth, Hermione following suit.

"You up for it?" Hermione asked after they were both finished and Ginny nodded her head.

Flying. She hated it. She always had, just because it was an honest waste of time. But since the war, she'd found some type of comfort in it. Her and Ginny would just fly around until the sun rose, and it was always going to be like that.

The night was cold and there was frost on the ground. "Perfect." She whispered as she stared at the crystal stars in the dark sky. She was itching to get up there, to fly and be free.

The two mounted their brooms and flew up in the air, it was a while before they realized a figure staring up at them from the ground.

"Who the bloody hell is that? Its three in the morning! I figured we'd be the only ones out here!" Ginny whispered to her friend.

Hermione looked down and caught a glimpse of platinum hair shining in the moon light as the figure mounted the broom. "Shit." She muttered.

"What? Who is it?" Ginny asked as she whipped her broom around, but the figure was no longer there.

"Draco." Hermione whispered.

"Yes?" The girls heard a voice from behind them and they both turned to face him.

"What the hell do you want? She's a **mudblood** remember?" Ginny growled at him.

"Gin-" Hermione started.

"No, she's not. She's amazing, and smart, and beautiful. And I need to talk to her." Draco cut her off.

"Fine." The red-head grunted as she began to fly back down.

"I'm sorry about her, she didn't seem to mad when I told her at first, she was actually standing up for you." Hermione said quietly, her cheeks bright red from Draco's comment.

"No, i know I deserve it. But you don't. And you don't realize how sorry I am, because I don't mean to hurt you, Hermione." Draco said and looked her in the eye.

She stayed quiet, simply because she didn't know how to reply.

"I'm going back tomorrow." Draco said as he stared at the stars.

"Back where?" Hermione asked, but she was pretty sure she knew the answer.

"Home." He said simply.

"Why? Because I'm too sensitive and I cry every time you call me some petty little name? Are you serious Draco? What the hell is the matter with you?"

Her boldness surprised him. "Maybe I want to go home because I won't be able to hurt anyone there."

"Maybe you just think because you have money, you don't need an education and that you'll live perfectly fine without one." Hermione snapped. "Am I right?"

"No...well...that's part of it." He said shyly.

"Have you ever thought about what could happen to all that money? What if you lose it all? What if you don't have as much as you think you do? What happens when it's all gone, Draco?"

"Then I'll just come live with you." He smirked. She involuntarily smiled. He really had a way of lightning the mood.

"And what if I don't let you?" she said as she raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you will." He said cockily.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because you're so bloody nice to everybody. That and you can't resist me." He winked and sped past her.

She whipped her broom around and followed him, both racing to the ground. The wind was sending her hair in a frenzy, but she'd never felt this _good. _It was fun chasing him on the broom, it was fun not thinking about the outside world, it was fun being high off of happiness. Sleep or no sleep, she'd never felt so alive.

Until she lost sight of him.

"Draco? Where did you go?" She yelled and flew back down to the ground. She felt someone come up behind her and grab her shoulders.

"Right here sweetheart." He breathed against her neck. She shuddered at how straight forward he was being, others would think it crazy, but she thought it was extremely hot.

_Wait. Hot? _

_I was right! _

_No. I didn't mean that. I don't think he's hot. _

_Oh yes you do. _

_Again with the talking to myself. Merlin. _

"Come on, let's go out." Draco said as he let go of her shoulders.

"Excuse me?"

"Let me take you out for a drink." He said as he rolled his eyes.

"As friends?" She asked unsurely.

"No, as potatoes. Duh, as friends." He said and grabbed her hand. They walked down to The Three Broomsticks and Draco sat her in a booth as he went to order. He came back a few minutes later with two firewhiskeys.

"Not trying to get me drunk are you?" She asked jokingly, but there was some seriousness in her voice.

"Never." He winked and she lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip. She'd had firewhiskey plenty of times before, and she loved the burning sensation that slid down her throat and into her stomach as she downed the drink.

"I never knew you drank." Draco said as he raised and eyebrow at her empty glass.

"Well, there are a lot of things you don't know about me." She said playfully.

It surprised him how she managed to be unaffected by the drink. This glasses that they had were as full as a medium-sized wine bottle, and he would usually be at least buzzed after he finished his first glass. And hadn't she gotten a little drunk off of a butter beer once?

She smiled at him, she was really drunk and she knew it, but he didn't seem to notice.

"So, we never finished our conversation about the dance." Draco started.

"Well, that asshole kind of interrupted it." She muttered.

"Yeah, so what do you think about a frozen floor? It doesn't have to be real ice, but it can be magicked to be like that." He suggested and she shrugged as her eyelids started to droop.

"Oh, you're a sleepy drunk." He commented, but she didn't seem to notice. Her head began to hang and soon her face was on the table. He chuckled at her flushed cheeks and decided to call it a night, she obviously wasn't up for anything else. He threw the money down on the table and lifted the brown-haired witch over his shoulder.

"You have a nice ass." She giggled and he laughed along with her.

"Thanks, princess, you too." He replied.

"Are we going to candyland?" She asked dreamily.

"Yeah, but you have to be quiet so we can go through the gates." He said in a whisper, it was fun playing along with her.

"Okay." She half yelled half whispered. He laughed at how innocent she was as he began to trudge up the stairs to their dorm. When he got there he placed her down on her bed.

"Are we here?" She asked excitedly.

"Yeah, but you have to take a nap first." He said as he kneeled down to untie her shoes.

"But I don't wanna!" She screamed like a small child and he laughed. "Your mean, ass man." She said as she began to cry.

"I'm sorry, what can I do to make it up to you?" He said as he tried to control his laughter. She grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him close to her face.

"Stay here." She whimpered and he stopped smiling, his expression turned to stone cold shock.

"I don't think that's such a good idea." He said as he began to leave.

"Please don't leave, I'm scared." She whispered and he kneeled back down beside her bed.

"There isn't anything to be scared of." He said soothingly. He stood again and kissed her forehead, "I won't let anything happen to you."

"But something will if you leave. They will come back." She cried and he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Fine." He gave in and slid into the bed beside her. They would both regret this in the morning. He was sure of it.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**Well. That took forever. **

**By the way, Ron and Hermione are not together. Sorry that I didn't make that clear, but thank you for asking because I can see where you got confused. **

**So how did you like it? Please tell me because I love reviews and I read every single one. (I have no life I know gosh.) **

**Well, love you guys!**

**~Curly~**


	8. Chapter 7

**Hey, I know this probably annoys you guys, but when I write, I listen to music and that is what sets the mood for the chapter. SO the song I listened to while writing this chapter is called 'I'm Not the One' By 3OH3!. Trust me it makes this whole thing much more bareable.**

**Chapter 8: Tricks and Promises. **

He didn't know what it was, but it smelled good. Like vanilla and roses. Like heaven. He slowly cracked open his eyes and was met with blinding sunlight and a little brunette beauty laying in his arms. Everything from the night before came flooding in to his system and he closed his eyes again. She was going to regret this. She was going to hate him so much. He shouldn't have stayed. He should've just left her there, she would have been fine.

But he had to make a bloody promise. That he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

How the hell was he supposed to keep that promise?

_It doesn't matter. She's gonna be pissed. And she's going to hate me._

He groaned at his stupidity, and felt the girl in his arms stir. He looked down at the Gryffindor Princess. Her doe eyes were still closed, but her mouth was slightly parted and her nose was scrunched up. His breath hitched at how beautiful she looked. He pulled her closer to him and decided that if she was going to be mad, then she would have to be mad when she woke up. Because in that moment, she was his, and he was hers. And that was all that mattered.

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The muffled sound of a heartbeat slowly pulled her away from her sleep. She opened her eyes, only to see the black fabric of a shirt right in front of her. She began to register arms holding her waist against a chest, and the most wonderful scent she'd ever smelled. She shifted her head to look at his face. She knew who it was before she had, but hey, who would pass up the chance to see Draco Malfoy sleeping?

He was so vulnerable, and calm. It was adorable.

"Like the view?" He asked with his eyes still closed.

"No...I...uhh..." She stammered.

"It's okay, I am." He said huskily as he opened his eyes, making her cheeks turn more red than she thought was possible.

"I hate to ruin your vibe, but what are you doing in my bed? I don't remember anything." Hermione commented skeptically.

"Well, some things are meant to be forgotten." He said as he wiggled his eyebrows. He said it jokingly, but there was a surprising amount of truth in his voice. He didn't want her to remember the promise that he made. Especially since he couldn't keep it.

"Ew." She groaned and shoved him off of her. She stood out of the bed, which was a really bad idea, considering her extremely bad hangover. Her hands flew to her head, trying to numb the pain. "Shit."

"Ooh. Somebody can't handle the consequences?" Draco asked, still casually lying back on the bed.

"Shut. Up." she growled and stomped off to the bathroom. He heard the door slam, then a shrill scream, and he jumped up and ran to the door.

"Hermione, are you okay?" He asked frantically while he was shaking the door knob. He got no answer, "Hermione answer me." He said with a stern voice.

"I look like **shit**!" She groaned and he dropped his head against the door, trying to calm himself down.

"Don't do that again." He said breathlessly. She popped her head out of the doorway.

"Why? Did I scare the wittle bity baby?" She asked with sly smile. She slammed the door again, and he slid to the floor as he heard the shower turn on. She would definitely be the death of him.

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"Shoes." Hermione said simply, carrying on the conversation in the dining hall. Ginny's mouth hung open in shock.

"Shoes? The most worthless thing in the world to you are shoes?" Ginny asked.

"Well, that and those bloody meetings that we have to have for no damn reason." Hermione muttered, and Ginny shrugged, continuing to devour her food. Hermione glanced over the tables. It was just like it had been before. The controlled chaos, the happy chatting, everything. She scanned the Slytherin table again, and a frown found itself on her face at the sight of Draco sitting alone. Ginny looked at her friend to see what she was so focused on.

"Hermione, I think we should go sit with him." Ginny whispered. Hermione beamed at the girl, she was so proud of how quickly she'd gotten over her prejudice against Draco.

"Indeed we should." Hermione stood with Ginny following suit. They began to walk to the Slytherin table for the second time that year, and like before, the hall went silent.

The girls plopped down in front of him, and he smiled gratefully at Hermione, he'd always admired her boldness. It was one of the things that made her so bloody amazing.

"Hey loser." Hermione joked and he laughed, thankful that he'd had the opportunity to become friends with the witch.

It wasn't like in the movies, though. The lunch wasn't an automatic bonding scenario, instead it was awkward, and silent. Especially between Draco and Ginny.

Hermione looked up from her food to see Ginny's red and worried face. "What?" Hermione asked as she wiped her mouth. Ginny looked at Draco, who was avoiding eye contact with both.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked puzzled. She looked back and forth between her friend and the blond boy. "Well?"

"I kissed her." Draco stated bluntly as he nodded his head towards the red-haired witch.

"Excuse me?" Hermione half-shouted as she looked at Ginny. The other witch looked at her with tears in her eyes.

"Mione, we were going to tell you." Ginny sobbed and she looked back and forth between the two again.

"Thats great. I'm really happy for you two, but I need some air." Hermione said with a small smile on her face. She stood and exited the great hall, leaving the other two behind.

Ginny wiped her fake tears, "Do you think she bought it?" She asked enthusiastically.

"I think she did. You aren't so bad Weasley." Draco smirked.

"Youre not so bad yourself, Malfoy." Ginny agreed and they continued eating.

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_He kissed her. __**He kissed her. **_

The sentence kept playing in her mind, over and over again. She could see it, like she had saw the kiss. His hand cupping her cheek and slowly pressing his lips to hers. She let out a startled moan and threw herself on the bed. And that's when the tears came.

_I have no reason to cry. It's like he said before, it's not like he declared his undying love for me. _

_Yeah, but he did kiss you. _

_Then he said he just wanted to be friends, that it was an honest mistake, and I'm sure he was pretty shaken by the fight. _

_Did you forget why he got in the fight? _

_So? _

_You're so thick-headed. Oh yeah, by the way you're talking to yourself again. _

_Be quiet. _

She sat up and threw her pillow at the wall. It was times like these when she wished that it was night, so she could fly, or run away, or just be by herself.

"Mione?" She heard her best friend's voice as she entered the room. Hermione furiously wiped her tears off her cheeks as she faced her friend.

"Have you been crying?" Ginny asked as she sat down on the bed beside her.

"Yeah, it's nothing though, I'm just stressed about the dance and schoolwork."

Ginny looked at her with the, "I'm-not-an-idiot-so-stop-lying-to-me" look, "Yeah right. It's about Draco, isn't it?" She asked softly.

"When did you start calling him by his first name?" The girl snapped and Ginny smirked.

"So it is about him."

"Well for merlin's sake! I mean he fought a guy for me, he kissed me, he acted like he cared, and then he kisses you! For real? Who does that?" Hermione ranted as she stood and started pacing in front of her bed. "And Harry isn't going to be happy about th-"

"No! It didn't hap- um I mean, you can't tell him,"Ginny said nervously, "I think you need to get Draco to explain this whole thing. I'm going to go now, I'll see you tomorrow."

Hermione nodded as she saw her friend exit the room. She was right of course, about talking to him, she really needed too. And yeah, she could admit that she was forming a bit of a crush on the guy. But he said that he only wanted to be friends, and she'd agreed. She thought it was kind of dumb how people date before they're friends. Once they get together, the couple will either marry, or break up, but if they're friends, they can stay friends. It seemed easier that way.

Maybe she would talk to him. And maybe she would tell him how she felt. She confidently stomped out of her room and into Draco's. He was sitting on the bed with his sketchbook in hand, but when she opened the door he was quick to hide it. She was so focused on what she was going to say though, and she barely noticed.

"We need to talk." Hermione commented as she sat down in front of him. "Did you kiss her, Draco?" She asked quickly.

"No." He said as he put away his pencils.

"Then why did you say that you did?"

"Because Weasley wanted to know if you liked me, and this was her brilliant plan." He said slowly, and her cheeks turned red.

"And...and what were the r-results?" She stammered.

"I think you know the answer." He said with no emotion. "Now my turn. I can't be friends with you anymore, Hermione." He whispered as he scooted closer to her. His words sent a chill down her spine, and one word kept crossing her mind, failure. She'd failed to make him feel wanted.

"It's just too hard." He said quietly, while looking in to her eyes, "I really thought I could handle it, but I can't." He whispered and she looked away. He saw tears begin to well in her eyes and his heart sank. He knew what he was doing though, because he knew that in life it was better not to be attached to anybody. He knew it was going to be hard, but he shouldn't have let it get that far.

But he didn't even know what 'it' was. Obviously he liked her, a lot. And she obviously liked him, but he just couldn't be attached to her. It wasn't fair for either of them.

And this way was better, because he wouldn't have to keep his promise.

"I'm sorry." She whispered and then left the room, leaving him to try and convince himself that he knew what the hell he was doing.

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**I'm sorry for taking forever to update. **

**And sorry for the sucky update. **

**Cookie? No? Okay. **

**anywayyyyyy**

**So, I've been at my mom's since Monday, and we're switching cable companies so our internet is down. I typed all week, and this is all I got, sorry if you're disappointed. **

**Okay so someone left a review, and I see where they're coming from. This is the time period about a year after the war. Thank you for reviewing by the way!**

**Anyway (Again). **

**Thanks for reading! REVIEW PLEASE! **  
**I love you all!**

**~Curly~**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 9: Simply You**.

"Gin. I'm so mad at you." Hermione yelled as she walked into the other witch's dorm. The girl looked up from her homework and her face went pale.

"Hermione, listen, I had to do it!" Ginny screamed as she began trying to shield herself from the other girl.

"Why?" Hermione challenged as she took out her wand and twirled it in her fingers.

"Because you wouldn't tell me if you liked him or not!" Ginny screamed. "Don't hex me! I'm sorry!"

Hermione smirked and gave the other girl a hug. "I would have told you, but I truthfully didn't know." she sighed and sat down on the other girl's bed.

"Oh, but now I do. You like him." Ginny said with a sly smile on her face. Hermione groaned and buried her head in the pillow.

"I still don't know."

"What did you two talk about when he told you?" Ginny asked as she rubbed her forehead, trying to make sense of her friends feelings.

"That he couldn't be friends with me anymore." She choked out and put her head in her hands. She could still remember the look on his face when he said it. It was like he was numb again, like he couldn't feel anything. But she knew that wasn't the case, it was simpler than that. He'd built his walls back up, and she still wasn't allowed in.

"Why?" Ginny asked, shocked.

"It's like he went back to the way he was before. Like he doesn't care about anyone but himself." She whispered.

"Do you know why?" The red-head inquired.

"I don't know, but I'm really tired, can we maybe talk about this later? I think I'm gonna take a nap." She said solemnly as she stifled a yawn. Ginny nodded and left her to go do homework somewhere else.

She'd always hoped that Hermione and Draco would be together. But by the way Draco was acting, it wouldn't turn out like she hoped. She took the blame for the little stunt they'd pulled on the brightest witch of their age, but in reality, it was him.

He came to her because he wanted to know so badly that he couldn't take it, or at least that was what he told her. She was reluctant at first, but 50 galleons tend to change a person. He really had wanted to know though, and so did she. So they formed a plan, and it was genius.

And now, he'd gone and screwed everything up. A bloody git, he was. And she was going to make sure he damn well knew it.

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The pounding of a fist on his door jerked him awake. He grabbed his wand and stumbled to his door, peeking out the peep-hole. "Who is it?" he asked grumpily and ran his hand through his hair.

"It's me, and you have three whole seconds to open this damn door or so help me, I will blow it to bits." Blaise Zabini spat and Draco smirked.

"I knew you couldn't stay away from me."

"Yeah, we know, you're hilarious Malfoy, now open this damn door."

The blond boy chuckled and threw open the wooden door. He greeted his old friend with a hug and then began to ask some very important questions.

"Why'd you come back Zabini? A certain girl, perhaps? Or a teacher?"

"More like I have information." Blaise said quietly.

Draco raised an eyebrow at the seriousness of his friend. Blaise was hardly ever serious. "And what might that information be?"

"Draco, your mum, she's... she's not doing so well." Blaise said with a look of pity in his eyes. "And she's been asking for you."

"Oh yeah," Draco muttered, "I forgot you worked at Mungo's. Exactly how bad is she?"

"The nurses say she has one week." Blaise said and put a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "But I'm the doctor, and I know that she's strong, and I say she's got a few more good years ahead of her. Nevertheless, she's still requesting for you, and she has been for sometime."

Draco rubbed his face, "Have you talked to McGonagall?"

"Of course, she said you could leave anytime."

"Then let's go." Draco said before grabbing a pinch of floo powder and disappearing in to green flames.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Her mouth hung open and her breathing began to speed up, "Harry!" she screamed and flung herself in to the boy's arms. "You're here early!"

"Yeah. Really early. Like two months early." Hermione said with confusion on her face.

"Well, I just couldn't stay away from you any longer." He whispered to Ginny, causing her face to turn as red as her hair.

He hugged Ginny and looked at Hermione over the red-headed witch's shoulder. He smirked and held a tiny velvet box in his fingers. It took all Hermione could to not squeal and giggle like a little girl. Her best friends' dreams were coming true, and she was more than happy for them.

"Six o'clock." He mouthed to the brunette and she nodded excitedly. Harry silently tossed Hermione the ring and she shoved in her pocket as he broke the hug with Ginny.

"So how is training?" Ginny asked curiously.

Harry laughed and shook his head, "Ron and I, we didn't have to finish it."

Hermione looked at him confused, "How did you manage that? I mean every auror has to go through training."

"Not the boy who lived and his best friend." Harry said cockily and Hermione smacked him.

"Geez, your ego has doubled since last time we talked." She muttered.

"Yeah, whatever." He said rubbing the spot where she hit him, "I was actually wondering if I could get some alone time with Ginny if you don't mind."

Hermione nodded and winked at them before exiting the room. It was going to be forever until six o'clock came, and to say that she was excited was an understatement.

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"Now, I know that you've seen a lot of bad things in your life, but Draco, this is pretty bad." Blaise whispered as they walked down the deserted hallway at St. Mungos. The blond just nodded his head, because in all honesty, he knew his mother wasn't doing well. He could deny it all day long, but she just wasn't as healthy as she was before...well before everything.

Before Voldemort took over their lives.

Before the War.

Before her sister and friends were killed.

Before her husband was sent to Azkaban.

Before Lucius screwed up their lives. To say he hated the man was a disgrace to the feelings of dislike he had towards him.

"Ready?" His friend took a deep breath as he slowly pushed open the door.

Yeah, he knew his mum wasn't doing well, but what he saw, was...it was just indescribable. It was terrifying, and it chilled him to the bone.

"Mum?" He whispered, but he didn't get an answer. It was obvious, she was living on her last few breaths. But in all honesty, what did she expect? Did he think she was going to be standing and joking with the nurses like she had been a few months back?

_No, I just didn't expect this. _

He slowly walked over to his mother's pale figure lying on the scratchy white material. He grabbed her icy hands and tried to warm them in his own, hoping it would ease the suffering.

"Draco go back to school, there isn't anything to worry about." She stated sternly, and he knew that she was serious. Yes, it had been a short visit, but they always were.

"Yes, mum." He sighed and kissed her cheek. He knew that she was going to be gone by next week, and that this may be the last time he ever saw her.

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**Okay, I am really so so so so sorry for taking forever to update. I've had a lot of things happen all at once, and on top of that I got really bad writers block. **

**Sorry! **

**I hope this update makes up for it! **

**Much Loves! **

**~Curly.**


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 10: Sorry for Disturbing you.

He didn't go back to class that day. He just stayed in his bed and stared at the ceiling. He watched as the natural light in his room dimmed down to dark.

She was going to die.

And he was going to be alone.

END. OF. STORY.

Now, he considered himself a tough guy, but he was crying. And his heart was broken. His mother, his strong mother, that lied to protect her family, was going to die.

"Draco? Are you in here?" He was snapped out of his thoughts by a soft voice and his bedroom door being opened. He quickly wiped under his eyes and his cheeks. He sat up in his bed and clicked on the light on his bedside table, "Yeah, what the hell do you want?"

He hated being mean to her. It crushed him from the inside out. Mainly because she just didn't deserve it. She deserved the world. Not him and his fucked up life. It just wasn't fair.

"I was...I was just- never mind. Goodnight." She sighed.

"No, you already disturbed me, now what do you want?" he said frustrated and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I was worried about you okay? I didn't see you in any classes and you didn't show up for our planning period. Sorry for _disturbing _you." She spat and shut the door.

How was it that recently all their conversations ended on a bad note?

"Where are you going, Hermione?" He yelled through the closed-door.

"Why are you so worried about it?" She snapped and he swung his door open.

"Because, I can be. Now where are you going?" He said and crossed his arms over his chest.

She shrugged, "Hell. You know, where you were born?"

"That wasn't funny." he said and his eyes filled with an emotion that she couldn't quite place. But it filled her up with warm feelings.

He was happy. And he was flirting, and she was flirting back.

"Yeah, actually, that was funny." She said and stuck her tongue out.

"Okay, then where are you going?"

"I told you! I'm going to Hell!" She exclaimed seriously, but the smile tugging at her lips gave her away.

"I didn't want to have to do this." He sighed and charged towards her. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, "I'm taking you back to my castle princess, and you won't be able to escape."

He threw her down on his bed and locked the door. "You're mine now." He growled and her eyes got big. He pulled his shirt over his head, and crawled over on the bed.

"What are you doing?" She whimpered and then his hands found their place on her hips. He leaned in close, as if he was going to kiss her. Then he did the last thing she thought he would ever do.

He _tickled _her.

She was being tickled by Draco Malfoy.

_hell must have frozen over. _

A few minutes later, they were both out of breath and laying on their backs. The silence was awkward, and her cheeks couldn't get any redder. He pushed himself up so that he was hovering over her.

"Listen, I'm sorry." He whispered.

"You know what? You say that a lot." She raised her eyebrow, "You don't have to apologize for every little thing, Draco."

"What if I like apologizing to you?"

"Then you're weird." She whispered.

"And you love it." He whispered back and began to lean down to kiss her.

But of course, her phone had to ring. Her face turned even redder as she lightly pushed him off of her.

"No. You can answer it later. I'm tired of being confused about us." He said as he pushed her back down. "I can't be friends with you. But I can't not be friends with you either. You're too important."

"You barely know me!" She said shocked.

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, right. We've only known each other since first year. But that's not what I meant. You don't know how much I've seen."

Her eyes flew open wide in shock, "What the hell do you mean?! Have you seen me naked or something?!"

He chuckled and shook his head, "Again, not what I meant. You have no idea how hard it is for me not to kiss you right now. You have no idea how much i just want to hold you in my arms and keep you away from harm. And it's so hard when you don't let me do that."

"Me?! You kiss me, then you tell me we can't be friends!"

"What I'm trying to say is, that, I really like you. But more than that. I admire you and trust you and I just want to be with you."

She stayed quiet, just staring at him. Why is he telling her this now? What's the point? All he's going to do is retaliate, and just call her a mudblood and then not talk to her for weeks. It was the same every time.

Finally he sighed and rolled off of her. "Sorry I sprung that on you." He sighed and ran his fingers over his face.

She smiled and sat up across from him. "There you go apologizing again. I don't mind that you sprung it on me. I was just as confused about us as you were. And truth is, yeah, I like you too."

He looked up, "But?"

"But how do i know that you aren't going to do what you did before and not talk to me for weeks?"

He pushed her back down. "Just trust me? We don't have to get together, you don't even have to be my girlfriend. Just try it, please?"

And she wanted too. Her heart screamed yes, but her mind screamed no.

_but there is only one way to find out. _

She sucked in a breath, and then leaned up and kissed him.

It was different this time.

This time it was full of raw emotion, and it was so hard it almost hurt.

And she fucking loved it.

He pulled back slowly this time, lingering on every kiss.

She gently pushed him off of her, "Yeah, I think I could get used to that." She pushed her lips to his one more time and then left the room.

He was staring at the ceiling again, but this time his stomach was filled with butterflies. _She _kissed _him _this time. And even though he felt like he was acting like a 14-year-old that just had her first kiss, he was so fucking happy. And that was the first time that he'd been this way in a long time.

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**Okay, for starters, this chap is a filler. (Kind of) **

**And I love you guys, just to let you know. **

**Thank you for all the supports!**

**~Curly.**


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Tonight**

Kissing him was like getting drunk, and never being able to be sober again. It was like a high that she couldn't come down from. He made her happy. And that was something she'd never dreamed of saying about Draco Malfoy. But there it is, in black and white.

They weren't even together yet, but the happiness, and the safety she felt around him always failed to go unnoticed.

And she couldn't get him off of her mind. He was so much different from what he once was. It was strange, but the kind of strange that sent chill bumps down her spine, the kind of strange that made her loose her breath.

She was willing to try. Try to be with him, because in all honesty, she couldn't not be with him. What he had said about being friends were the same in her mind. He couldn't be friends with him, but she couldn't not be friends with him.

"You really must enjoy staring at me, sweetheart." Draco drawled from across the library table. She looked up and her face turned red.

"You know I do." She said and laughed.

"Okay, seriously now. What about the dance? I feel like we've ignored it for some time and I think we should probably get on it."

"So, the theme is breaking the ice. We could have it winter themed I guess." She shrugged and wrote down the first idea.

"We could, but that's what it was last time. I don't think it would be as fun because it would be just like last time. I was thinking that we could do an enchanted floor, and then stars above."

"Yes! And we could let everybody have sparklers and we could do fireworks outside!"

He kicked his feet up and threw down the books, "Well, our work for today is done."

She rolled her eyes, "You're so lazy. But yeah, I think we need to announce it at dinner tonight, and arrange a trip out so that everybody can get their dresses and such."

He nodded in agreement before standing, "I want to show you something."

She looked up confused, "Okay. What?"

He pulled her up and kissed her, "You'll see."

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"I'm sorry! I couldn't do it that night! My nerves were so messed up! How about tonight after dinner? Please Mione, I can't do this without you." Harry pleaded with the witch.

"Okay. Fine. But you can't back down, you're PROPOSING for merlin's sake. You can't just put it off until later! This determines Ginny's future as well as yours, you know that right?" she scolded and he pulled her into a hug.

"Yes, _mum_. Thank you for being there for me." He said and then sprinted off to get ready.

She just shook her head, after all, what else could she do?

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_Dead. She's dead. _

_And I wasn't even there to say goodbye. _

_What the fuck else is there to take from me?! _

He stood and threw the chair across the room, shattering the ancient wood. He walked over to the coffee table and picked up the letter.

_...she says she's sorry and she loves you..._

A growl escaped his throat as he crumpled up the paper and tossed it in the trash. He walked over to the cupboard and pulled out the firewhiskey.

He had to numb the pain, it was the only way.

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She hadn't seen him since their meeting in the library earlier that day, but she couldn't focus on that right now. Her best friend was about to get engaged! She stood beside Ron in the doorway of the castle, watching as Ginny and Harry walked across the grounds looking at the stars.

"Jeez, if it stays at this rate, it will be morning before he proposes." Ron grumbled, earning a slap from the witch beside him.

"Give him a break! He's about to ask the most important question in his life." Hermione whispered.

Harry grabbed both of Ginny's hands and kissed her lightly, and it seemed that everything was in slow motion. He slowly got down on his knee and pulled the little velvet box from his pocket.

And the next thing they knew, Ginny was squealing and hugging his neck. Hermione and Ron flashed Harry a thumbs up and then they left.

The lovebirds had a long night ahead of them. That was for sure.

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"How long are you here for?" Hermione asked quietly as she took another bite of her ice cream. It was nearly ten and Ron had followed her to the kitchens for some ice cream, and just to catch up. It had been a while since they had done this.

"I'm leaving tomorrow, Harry will probably stay longer." He said and shoveled the desert in his mouth. "I've missed us talking like this, Mione." He said and his ears turned red.

She laughed, "Me too, Ronald. So, Harry told me that you two don't have to finish training. Does that mean that you're going to actually be getting the 'bad guys' and what not?" She asked curiously.

"Bad guys. Seriously?" He asked and raised his eyebrow.

"Yeah! Like the bad guys that steal women's purses and take candy from babies." She said and took both of their bowls to the sink.

The door slammed open and a figure stumbled in. Ron instantly threw Hermione behind him and pulled out his wand. "Who are you?"

"Shut up Weasley." Draco muttered and threw away the empty bottle of firewhiskey. He looked at the other wizard and saw him holding back Hermione.

"OI Weasley, get your paws off my girlfriend!" He said loudly and jerked his hand off of the witch.

"Draco, calm down. You're drunk." Hermione said as she stood in front of him.

"Girlfriend? Since when would she date scum like you Malfoy?" Ron spat and Hermione turned around to face him.

"Ron, I will explain it later, but I think you should probably leave

"Call me if you need me." He said and left, leaving a worried Hermione and a pissed off Draco in his midst.

"Come on." Hermione sighed as she threw Draco's arm over her shoulder and began to shuffle back to his room.

**oOo**

"Alright, in you go." She grunted and placed him on the bed. "I'm sorry for what he said, but you kind of asked for it." She whispered softly as she pulled off his tie and shoes. She pulled his blanket over his body and kissed his forehead.

"Don't leave." He said sleepily and pulled her back on to the bed. "I've had a long day. Just please stay."

"Draco, you're drunk, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Fine. Fuck off." He threw her wrist away from him an turned over. She felt the sting of guilt in her heart and kissed his head again before retreating to her room.

He opened his eyes as he heard the door click shut and a few tears slipped out. He was shutting her out again, after all they'd talked about the other night. It never felt good to be rejected, and he knew that. He really needed to apologise.

He waited for an hour, to make sure she was asleep. Then he quietly went into her room. He slipped into bed behind her, not caring what she thought. He needed comfort tonight, and she was the only one who could give it to him.

"Did she die, Draco?" Hermione whispered.

"Yeah, she did." He said back solemnly.

She flipped over to face him and kissed him. "I'm sorry." She said and pulled him closer to her.

Tonight, he could sleep with her. Tonight he was hurting, and she just wanted to heal him.

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**Hi! This chapter is so awkward. I can't even. **

**Thank you for reading though! :)**

**I love you guys! **

**~Curly. **


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The New Beacon

She'd been awake most of the night, just watching him sleep. Some may say that's creepy and stalker-ish, but she couldn't help but be attracted to his sleeping form. His cheeks were flushed, because of the heat in the room, his eyes were closed and his black eyelashes were hugging his skin. His lips were parted slightly practically begging for her lips to touch them. But she didn't kiss him, because she knew he needed sleep. He'd had a terrible day, his mother died. And she knew what it was like to lose a mother. It didn't feel good.

It's a numbing kind of pain, after the tears are gone. And it just makes you feel hopeless, like your only beacon of hope was shut out, and you have nothing left. She didn't want him to feel that pain, but what could she do besides hold him close to her?

Nothing. She could do nothing.

"Mum no!" He mumbled and his breathing became ragged. The nightmares. That was one of the reasons she'd stayed up. Simply because she knew they'd be coming. She gingerly moved his hair out of his face and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

"It's just a dream Draco." She said soothingly as she rubbed circles on his forearm, trying to calm him.

His eyes opened and he drew in his surroundings. He met the eyes of the girl in front of him and let out a calming breath. "Sorry, bad dream." He said sheepishly and she kissed him again.

"I don't know what to say, but I'm not going to tell you that it's okay. Because it's not. It hurts like a bitch and you feel hopeless. I know, I've been there. But I will tell you this, I don't care if you cry. Frankly, I'd be surprised if you didn't. I'm not going to judge you, because I'm proud of you and how you've changed and we've become...whatever this is." She said and snuggled deeper into his arms.

He stayed silent for a while. Shocked at the fact that she was letting him in. He enclosed his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. "Thank you." He whispered against her neck and then let sleep consume him.

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She knocked on the door to his room when she got back from classes. When he didn't answer, she just let herself in. He was laying on the bed with his arm hanging over the side.

She couldn't help but to think how amazing he looked. His muscles were softly moving as he breathed and she felt her heart melting.

"Hey." She whispered softly as she layed down beside him and brushed his hair out of his eyes. "How did you sleep?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." He snapped and she blinked before saying anything, trying to register his hateful mood.

"Is something wrong Draco?" She said quietly as she sat up on the bed.

"Actually, yeah there is." He growled and stood abruptly. He walked quickly over to a pile of clothes and pulled out an envelope with a blue wax seal that had been opened.

"Viktor." She said to herself and he threw the paper down.

"Yeah. Viktor." He spat. "He says that he wants to take you up on that offer for a butterbeer and shopping you'd asked him about a couple of days ago."

"So, that's none of your business." She said confused, why was he getting so worked up about this?"

"Hermione. I asked you to give _us _a chance a few _weeks _ago." He said angrily and she finally stood.

"Draco, I'm sorry. It's not a date. I promise. She said and smiled. She placed a comforting hand on his arm, but he roughly shook it off.

"It still fucking hurt. I feel so fucking happy that you feel like you can lie to me about it not being a date, like I'm some sort of idiot." He spat and she furrowed her eyebrows.

"I'm not lying! He said he was coming back to the area and i told him we should hang out and get a butterbeer. It's hardly a date!" She shouted, her heart stung. He didn't believe her.

"Whatever. Get out of my room you fucking slut." He growled. Her hand flew to her mouth, but she couldn't force any sound out. She searched his eyes for some sort of sorrow or regret, but she found none.

She couldn't move, or breathe. It felt like her lungs had collapsed. "Draco.. I.."

"Are you deaf or just stupid? Get the **fuck **out. And go screw someone while you're at it." He said and she walked quickly out of the room, refusing to let him see her tears.

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The dance was less than a month away. And they still had so much to do. She slammed her door and ran her fingers through her hair. She was frustrated, mainly because no one was taking this seriously. She looked at the clock and groaned when she saw how late it was.

She was completely and utterly screwed.

The door was mocking her. Begging her to stay inside. But she needed to get out and solve the whole dance issue or it was going to turn around and bite her in the butt. Just like the situation with Draco.

She walked over to her mirror and pulled up her hair, smoothing down the wispy tendrils that framed her face. She let out a frustrated sigh at her hair, "you can never look how I want, can you?" Her door flew open and out stepped a flustered Draco. His eyes were wild and his hair was sticking out in different directions. He ran towards her and grabbed her waist.

"Draco?" She gasped but he shook his head, pushing her back against the now closed door. He brought his head down so that his silky hair was touching her forehead.

"Kiss me." He growled. She looked at him with wide eyes. Any other time she would have gladly obliged, but he was an ass earlier. She didn't know what was wrong with him. And if she was going to be completely honest with herself then she would admit that she was scared.

But there was no way she was going to be completely honest with herself.

"Please?" He begged, worry clearly evident in his eyes. "Please kiss me." He breathed, like he was struggling to catch his breath.

And that was all she needed for her conscience to loose control of her brain. With a sudden bolt of courage she placed her shaky hands on either side of his face and kissed him hard. So hard that it almost hurt, but to her it was a good kind of pain. He grabbed her legs and wrapped them around his torso, but she barely noticed. She was way to lost in the moment.

She was way to lost in Draco Malfoy.

His lips left hers as he trailed little kisses along her jaw and down her neck. She couldn't hold back the involuntary moan that left her throat as he began to kiss her collar-bone.

"You're so beautiful." He said as he stopped and looked her in the eye. "And smart. And funny. You're uptight, but it's so sexy. You're everything I want. You're everything I need, Hermione. But the only problem is, I don't deserve you. Not after everything I've done to you." He said and kissed her softly.

She wanted to cry. His kisses were frantic and light. And each time he pressed his lips to hers she moaned. The moment was too perfect. Too amazing. She tugged his hair softly, silently asking him to lift up.

"Did I crush you?" He asked quickly, and she giggled before shaking her head no. "Draco what's going on? You've never kissed me like that." She whispered as she searched his eyes.

"I.. I don't know. I was laying down and I started to think about you. And you're eyes and lips and I couldn't help but think that you were going to find someone else after our fight, and I couldn't take it. I needed to kiss you and hold you...and.. I don't know." He whispered the last part so softly she barely caught it.

He lifted himself up so that he was sitting crossed legged and gently pulled her up to face him.

"I'm so sorry. I feel like I've said it a million times, but I swear on everything holy that this time I mean it from the bottom of my heart." He said and closed his eyes, as if he was taking a knife in the chest with every word.

She muttered a watery thank you before attacking him with kisses.

He needed to know that she didn't ever think about the past. He needed to know that he was forgiven. He needed to know that she wasn't going anywhere for a long time.

She took a deep breath and propped herself up on her elbows.

"Draco. I need you to do me a favor." She said quietly and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Please...just...can you just want me to be yours as much as I want you to be mine." She said softly.

"Hermione? I think I found a new beacon of hope. And..." He hesitated, "I think it's you."

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**You guys probably hate me so much. /.\**

**I love you anywayyyyyy!**

**But ive had some legit writers block. It got to the point where i was seriously contemplating just deleting my story. **

**But I have so many ideas now you have no idea. **

**I'm going to update one more time this week, but next week I have exams and I won't be on for a while. I'm sorry!**

**Well, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this cliffhanger ;)**

**~Curly.**


	13. Chapter 12

"Draco, is...is that me?" I stammered as i saw the sketch book lying open on his bed. He came in to the room and his face instantly paled. He looked scared, and speechless...

"Is it?" I questioned further, my voice slightly above a whisper.

"Yeah..." he sighed and ran his hands through his hair, slightly tugging it in frustration."I'm sorry...I...I don't know what got into me, I just couldn't stop thinking about you and..." he says and his cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"It's beautiful Draco. Thank you." I say as I grab his face in my hands. His eyes lit up and a grin began to surface.

"You aren't mad?" He asked.

"How could I be? You made me look amazing." I said and smiled.

"No, I didn't make you beautiful love. You came that way." He kissed me and I felt the smirk on his lips. He knows exactly what the heck he's doing, doesn't he?

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I walk silently to lunch and take my seat on the hard wooden benches. I hadn't realized how late I was until I actually got here. There's like two other people here. Literally.

And they aren't my favorite people.

Pansy Parkinson and one of her side bitches.

And when I was finally having a good day.

"Aren't you that ugly little mudblood Draco is fooling around with?" She snarls and gives me a plastic smile.

Fooling around? We aren't fooling around. We've only kissed.

"Mudblood is a little over used, don't you think?" I say politely as I take a bite of my bread.

"Yeah, you would know about being used wouldn't you. Or what about played? Or scammed? Any of those ring a bell?" She says and circles me.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I ask as I drop my fork loudly on my plate.

"Oh, you don't know? Oh my gosh this is priceless." She cackled and I began to get nervous. What the heck is she talking about?

"Well princess, let me enlighten you. You know that 'fling' you have going on with draco, yeah well, it's all a game."

I shook my head, she has to be lying, he wouldn't do that.

Or would he?

"You see, I bet him a couple thousand galleons that he couldn't make you fall in love with him, or at least kiss him. "

Do I even know him at all?

'Oh. Oh my gosh..." My head was spinning, and I didn't even realize when they left. I stood quickly and grabbed my things, I tried to wipe the tears from my face, but it was no use. When I got to my dorm I threw myself on to my bed.

Why?

That was the only question I had for him.

Why?

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I woke up with a start and checked my watch, 'Shit." I muttered and quickly grabbed my things before heading out the door. Ten minutes late.

Jeez, this day can't get anymore fucked up.

I tried to tame my bed head as I ran down the corridor to the meeting.

Seeing him was going to be hell.

I could feel it in the very pit of my stomach.

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"So." I said awkwardly as I stared at the prefects. Jeez they were boring, all wanting to help and shit. It's honestly appalling.

_I can't believe she didn't show up. _My subconscious thinks as i look at Hermione's empty chair. I haven't seen her since fourth block and to be honest it worries me more than it pisses me off.

Where the hell could she be?

"Are you or are you not going to start the meeting?" Huffs Ginny.

Merlin if Hermione didn't love her so much I would hex her to oblivion.

"Uhh...i guess." I stammer, lost for words. How the hell am I supposed to do this? It's not like I ever pay attention in these damn meetings anyway.

"So. The dance. It's coming up fast, really fast."

"We know this already." Ginny growls and I raise my eyebrow, suddenly amused by her temper.

"Sorry I'm late." Hermione says quietly as she walks through the double doors. She avoids any and all eye contact with me and her eyes are red. She'd been crying.

I looked to Ginny with a confused face as Hermione began her lecture.

Ginny shook her head and mouthed, "I don't know." I just rolled my eyes. Jeez, aren't the two of them best friends?

Time seemed to fly and the meeting was over before I even had time to comprehend what it was about. Hermione was very to the point tonight, and that isn't like her. She likes details and descriptions and...

Wait, loosing track here. I look over to her chair and find it empty, along with the other chairs in the room. I guess I zoned out and everyone left. I closed my eyes, but a sharp sob caused them to fly open. I knew that voice.

"How could you?" She choked and I turned around to find Hermione in tears.

"What? What did I do?" I ask frantically and try to pull her in my arms, but she is too fast and side steps my arms.

"Oh don't play dumb with me, you know exactly what you did." She spat. She wiped her tears furiously and stomped back over to me. She slammed her tiny fists on my chest.

"I trusted you, you fucking asshole. You haven't changed at all have you?" She growled when I grabbed her wrists.

Ouch. That one hurt.

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I can't believe him. I trusted him. I thought he'd changed, i swore that he did. I thought he liked me, but I guess the jokes on me for that one. How could I have been so foolish? The door to my bedroom slightly cracked open and my head snapped up to it.

"hey mione, how are you feeling?" Ginny asked as she walked in and softly shut the door behind her.

"Gin.." I tried to speak but it came out as a strangled sob. She shook her head at me and climbed into my bed beside me and hugged me. She really is my best friend.

After a few minutes she reached into her bag and pulled out a tub of ice cream. She handed it to me and pulled out two spoons.

"Now. Let's forget about him and enjoy this bloody ice cream.' She said confidently and plunged her spoon in to the chocolate. I couldn't help but laugh as her face scrunched up, brain freeze. She always has a problem with that.

A knock on the door caused her to immediately hold up her wand. "Hermione?" Draco asked quietly, and I almost melted at how my name sounded coming from his lips.

Wait. No it didn't. No. He's not good. Draco is bad.

Ginny stood up from the bed and flung open my door, her wand now pushing against Draco's nose.

"You have some nerve coming here you asshole." She growled and he put his hands up in surrender.

"You can hex me to hell if you want, but I need to know what I did to her. I don't understand." he says to her and then peeks around at me. A scowl forms on his face and I look away.

"Hermione please, I need to know what I did to upset you. I don't get it, we were fine this morning and now you're...you're..." he says and tries to find the words.

"Draco, you know...you know what you did." I sob and Ginny closes, slams, the door in his face.

I can't keep doing rounds with him.

It hurts way too much.

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**HI! So I know I promised to update within the past week, but every time I got the chance to write, something else caught my attention. **

**I hope this makes up for it. **

**So I'm guessing you've noticed that I changed the point of view for this story, (Duh.), and it was only supposed to be for this chapter, but I kind of like it better this way. **

**But, I don't want you to hate the story, so please vote on which p.o.v. you like better. **

**Thank you so much for reading! **

**Much Loves, **

**~Curly. **


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